Cities scrambled Sunday to dig themselves out from the snow and ice of a massive blizzard that clobbered the East Coast, but officials warned residents to remain vigilant even as the storm heads into the Atlantic Ocean.

Perhaps New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo put it best when he said, “We’re not out of the woods yet.”

That especially applies to New Jersey, where flooding remains a concern as residents watch high water flood a number of cities along the coast.

While areas worked to return life to normal, the Long Island Rail Road, which “sustained significant damage during the storm,” remained down, and officials in New York, Baltimore and Philadelphia warned that pooling water could refreeze, complicating Monday morning commutes.

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said her city had experienced a “historic snow event” and promised city workers were working aggressively to get roads and services back on track. She asked residents to do their part by using common sense. Before you go out, she warned, decide first if it’s absolutely necessary. It not, stay home,

“Read a book. Watch a movie. That’s our hashtag,” she says.

Record snowfalls

In Philadelphia, the blizzard warning ended overnight, and the city had more than 400 plows in the street and was scheduled to conclude emergency operations at some point Sunday, said Samantha Phillips, director of the city Office of Emergency Management.

The sun and rising temperatures in some areas Sunday should aid cleanup efforts, but meteorologists continue to worry about ice.

The storm has killed at least 14 people, grounded thousands of flights and shut down travel in many of the nation’s largest cities. One of the hardest-hit locales was Glengary, West Virginia, a small town about 85 miles northwest of Washington, which preliminary figures show received 42 inches of snow.

Coastal flooding remains a big concern for much of New Jersey due to the timing of the storm.

“I expect our town to be under considerable water,” Pellegrini said.

After Sandy, sand dune walls were built to help keep water from flooding ashore.

They worked well during this storm, helping to push back waves that were as high as 20 feet, said Vincent Jones with the Atlantic County Office of Emergency Preparedness.

“They are basically the first line of defense,” he said.

Tide catches residents off guard

Margate City, just down the coast from Atlantic City, was also affected.

“In a lot of our business areas and our back bay areas, water is coming over the bulkhead in a lot of the same areas as Hurricane Sandy hit,” Lt. Matt Hankinson of the Margate City Police Department said. “Some areas I would say it’s thigh- to waist-deep.”

CNN Map

Farther south in North Wildwood, the high tide was much higher than anticipated and caught many of the town’s 5,000 year-round residents off guard — with flooding levels that actually exceeded those during Hurricane Sandy, said Patrick Rosenello, the city’s mayor.

“We had a lot of evacuations, a lot of people who had stayed in their homes not anticipating this, needing to be rescued,” Rosenello said.

Most of the city was without electricity, he said, and the phones at the emergency dispatch center were jammed all day.

“There’s going to have to be major renovations,” Rosenello said.

Only 25,000 households in New Jersey remained without power Sunday morning, roughly a quarter of those reported Saturday night, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said. About 90% of those homes will have power by day’s end, he said.

The transit system and most roadways were reopened, and the governor said only 300 auto accidents were reported during the storm, a low figure given the storm’s severity.

Pummeled

At least 14 people have died as a result of the storm — six in North Carolina, three in Virginia, one in Kentucky, three in New York City and one in Maryland. Officials have cited a higher collective death toll, but CNN has not been able to confirm the individual reports and it’s unclear if all reports of death are related to weather.

Cuomo, the New York governor, and Rawlings-Blake, the Baltimore mayor, said during Sunday morning news conferences that there were additional reports of people dying while shoveling snow.

“Shoveling is an intense aerobic exercise, and it’s easy to become exhausted,” said Baltimore Fire Chief Niles Ford, reminding anyone who is working outside to dress in layers and to go inside frequently to warm up.

“I’ve never seen snow like this,” said Luis Abraham Garcia, a doctoral student from Mexico City, as he trudged along snowy sidewalks with his suitcase.

Washington schools remain closed

Animals at the National Zoo in Washington saw just above 22 inches during the storm. Tian Tian, the giant panda, seemed to enjoy it.

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said equipment arrived Sunday and is being dispatched as workers strive to make major and secondary roads passable. She urged business owners to shovel in front of their buildings and warned that anyone who impedes a plow will be ticketed.

“We need to get our business districts open,” she said.

Washington schools will remain closed Monday, and the city will make a decision on bus and train service sometime Sunday, she said.

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